More Then Something Meaningful
by Shimmering7
Summary: To Seth Clearwater, being a werewolf is the greatest thing to happen to him until a family crisis bring him to Pennsylvania, where werewolves are only myths. When Seth imprints how can he tell the girl without risking involvement from the Volturi?
1. Chapter 1

I was happy.

This is what I enjoyed doing, right here. Leah and I were in our human forms at the same time, which was a first in a while and we were at the First Beach. It was actually sunny for once, unusual for a day in the normally rainy La Push and Leah and I were running. It was a thing or Leah's, that if she couldn't be as strong or clever as the rest of us then she would be the fastest.

And she was.

We'd been running for about a half hour when I finally plopped down just short of the tide, exhausted. She turned around and jogged back to me, sitting herself down next to me and bending her legs under her. A couple of guys from the nearby community collage walked by and one of them whistled at her slimly clothed figure. We both snarled at them and something about our expressions made them hurriedly rush away.

Leah sighed and grumbled something illegible under her breath. I just ignored her. It was a day-to-day part of being a wolf to wear as little clothing as possible so you don't ruin to many of your things.

"Seth." The sound of my name from Leah startled me. I hadn't been paying attention.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated before continuing. "Seth I'm going to tell you something. And it's something you have to swear not to think about or tell the rest of the pack."

The urgency in her voice surprised me, so I just nodded.

"I'm running away," she burst out.

"Huh?" I was confused. She knew Jake had already tried a stunt like this, about a year ago and it hadn't worked out so well.

"I'm running away," she said slowly, like she was speaking to a toddler who didn't quite understand instructions. "I'm going to stop phasing. Maybe take some meditation classes to calm me up a little, date around, take some courses at a collage."

I just stared at her, my mouth open.

She snorted. "Shut your mouth, you'll let flies in."

I quickly shut it but reopened it again to speak.

"Leah! What, you're just gonna ignore your birthright? Just walk out on being a part of a legend? You're history in the making, Lee! Is being a werewolf that bad…?" I trailed off as she looked at me. I didn't need to be in my wolf form to know what she was thinking. Yes. For her, being a wolf was that bad.

"When?" was all I could say.

She looked away before answering, "_Tonight._"

"Are you coming home?"

"No."

The harshness in her words made me flinch and her expression softened as she put a hand on my shoulder.

"Take care and be strong, little brother."

I didn't look as she stood up, dusted the sand off her legs, and ran away.

* * *

"Dammit!" I snarled to myself as a missed, yet again, the deer I had been going after. She ran away, glad that I'd been so off my game. Lucky her. I walked over to the nearest tree and smacked my huge head off the thick trunk, trying to clear my thoughts, as I had been for the past year.

_Seth?_

Jake's voice rang through my head like the late bell at school. I grinded my teeth together and ran into a deeper part of the forest. I felt Jake coming after me and tried to speed up but he soon over took me.

_Stop._

The Alpha in his voice made me stop dead in my tracks.

_I was just passing by my house and Billy said that your mom wanted you._

I just nodded then wheeled myself around in the direction of my house and began to run. I knew the path by heart even though I hadn't been in my human form very often. I only spend about one hour in human form a day but it feels odd, stiff and I hurry to get back in the woods as soon as I can.

I think I'm just waiting to hear her voice.

It's been over a year since Leah left and neither my mom nor I had heard anything from her since. In the first month or two, the pack occasionally heard her voice in our heads, when she lost her temper or something but we never heard where she was.

I knew it was my fault she left. I was with her and I could have stopped her.

All my fault. Run, run, and don't look back, run, run, all my fault.

_Seth, don't think that way. _Embry had just phased and was now running to meet Jake.

_Get outta my head and mind your own business, _I snarled back.

I was now in my backyard. I phased behind a tree and pulled my shorts and draws back on then slunk into the house where, of course, my mom was waiting. She looked at me, forcing a smile through her tight lips then got up out of her chair in front of the TV and gave me a small hug.

"How are you honey?" she said, her voice tired, cautious, and happy all at the same time.

I shrugged then said, "Jake said you wanted me, mom. 'Sup?"

She looked around the room then sat back down in her chair and handed me a folded up piece of paper that lay on the table next to her.

"Leah," was all she said.

I immediately pulled up a chair and began reading.

_Mom,_

_I am so sorry I left with out a goodbye. It was hard and I wish I had said something to you before disappearing in to thin air. I'm in Pennsylvania at the moment, studying Law at a nearby collage. I'm leasing a small apartment and think I had finally been able to stop phasing, a feat I thought nearly impossible almost a year ago. Once I got away from Sam and pack life and responsibilities, everything seemed so much easier. Anyways, I don't think I will be able to make it back there anytime soon but I will write as soon as I can._

_Love,_

_Leah_

_P.S. How's Seth?_

"Seth?" Mom's voice sounded warily and I realized that my hand was shaking so hard that the words on the page were blurring. I let go of the letter and ran out the back door and leapt off the porch, already in wolf form. My four paws hit the ground with a thud and I was flying across the forest floor.

How could she? Damn her! Pennsylvania?? That was on the other side of the continent for god's sake! And then just casually throwing me in there, not even saying one word to me… Well now I knew where she was. I was going to go get her.

_No Seth!!_

My pack's yell was louder then if they were standing right next to me. Jake, Embry, and Quil were all running towards me in unison. I decided it was no use trying to out run them so I just simply sat down and waited.

It didn't take long. Soon the chocolate, russet red, and dark grey spotted wolves appeared out of the forest. The chocolate wolf and grey spotted wolf sat down but Jake continued walking until he was right in front of me. His huge eyes looked at me in what I imagine to be accusation.

_Jake,_ I started. Pleading would be better at this point. _I'm going mad here. There's nothing here for me, except the pack and even that isn't enough right now. I need to do this._

Jake's expression changed and he looked at me with a new expression on his face and I knew what he was thinking, going through those tough times before Nessie came along when he just wanted to get away…

_You really want this? _

_More then anything. _God, I sounded pathetic, even to me.

He looked at me for a really long time before, _Do what you gotta do kid._

_Thanks, _I willed to him before setting off running towards the horizon. I was going to find what I was missing.

Run, run, and don't look back, run, run…


	2. Chapter 2

One week later, I was on the very border of Pennsylvania and still undecided about what I wanted to do.

Leah never said anything like she wanted me to come or that she would even take me in. I was the one reminder to her of the legend she once was apart of. The legend and magic she turned her back on.

Walking around some place in a little town in Ohio in only shorts and shoes isn't the best thing. For one, you get a lot of girls coming up to you, even girls that look like they should be in collage… well I probably do look like I'm twenty myself instead of just sixteen. Another thing, there's nothing to get distracted by. In La Push, I at least had the distraction of the pack matters but now, nothing but the small-town buildings and hot sun on the back of my neck.

Finally I decided to just wing it. If she turned me down, I'll go back. If she took me in… well I guess I would be grateful and take it from there.

Going back to the little forest outside of the town, I took off my clothes and morphed, then began to run in the direction I knew Pennsylvania was. It didn't take long. Soon, I smelled enough human life to decide to clothe myself and ask directions.

In my human form, I followed a trail long enough to run into a couple of hikers who said I was in Pennsylvania and the nearest town was a place called Waynesburg. I thanked them and jogged away. As soon I was out of their sight, I began to run at my normal inhuman speed until I found the town.

The nearest restaurant had the thing I was looking for, a phonebook. Skimming through the pages, I finally found what I was looking for.

_L. Clearwater, 555-0574, Maple Ave, Uniontown PA._

Uniontown wasn't far away, a waitress told me, just about forty-five minutes. Twenty-five minutes for me, I thought grimly.

Half-hour later, I was standing in front of Ms. L. Clearwater's house. A car wasn't parked in the driveway so I assumed she wasn't home and sat on the curb to wait. The watch on my wrist seemed to move ridiculously slowly. 1:00… 1:30… 2:00… 2:30…

Finally at a quarter till 3, a car turned onto the small dead-end lane and I knew that it must be someone who lives here.

Not wanting to startle them, I got up and dusted myself off then walked over to stand under a large shady pine tree in Leah's yard. I watched as the rusty old red car started to slow until, much to my surprise, turned into the driveway and out of it stepped none other then Leah.

It had only been a year since I last saw her but I noticed a large difference in the appearance of my sister. Her short, cropped raven hair had grown out again, almost to the length of her elbows and her hair appeared shiner, fuller. Her normally gaunt and skinny face had color in it and her copper skin shone in the faint sunlight. She was laughing at something that had come out of the dark blue cell phone she held up to her ear and, without a glance to the shadows where I lurked, she shut the car door and walked up the driveway and into the house.

Without missing a beat and without thinking about what I was doing, I marched up the drive after her and knocked on the polished wood door.

"One sec!" I heard her call and five second later; she opened the door and found herself face to face with me.

A very loud silence until:

"Seth," she breathed.

Then she stepped forward and hugged me with all her strength and I hugged back, finally feeling relief for the first time in a year. We stood like that for about a minute until we pulled back.

She was wiping her eyes as she said, "What the hell are you doing here? How'd you know how to find me…? Oh wait. Right."

She grimaced but quickly redeemed her face and hurried me inside. She shut the door and I got a good look at the inside of her house. The room we were in had cardboard boxes in a few places and one big long couch and table in. Pictures lined the walls and dark green curtains covered the windows.

Leah walked to the couch and sat on it then motioned for me to do the same. I cautiously walked to the couch and sat next to her.

"So what brings you here?" she asked conversationally.

I opened my mouth to respond but before I could I heard the sound of tires on gravel pull up in the driveway. I was about to ask Leah when the door opened and in walked a tall, muscular guy with short hair and bright green eyes. He stopped when he saw me and I tensed when I saw him.

We stared each other down for a second before he cleared his throat and asked, "Leah? Who's this?"

"I could ask the same thing." I turned to my sister expectedly.

She looked back and forth between the blond man and me before standing up and walking over to stand next to him.

"Ryan," she said quietly, "This is my brother, Seth. He came for an unexpected visit. Seth… This is Ryan. My… husband." And I stared in horror as she lifted her delicate left hand to show me a silver and diamond wedding ring.


End file.
